The Kindest Death
by Abbzziis
Summary: When Bella is finally away from the murderous redheaded vampires, the volatile wolves and a lover that is so much than herself then Edward can relax because she will be safe right? Then why, when she calls, can he hear fear in her voice?


"Edward?"

Her voice echoes through the telephone line. The barely whispered sound vibrating around the pale, airy room I stood in. Even before the sound of each letter within the word was finished, I knew something was wrong. The tenor, the slight shudder of the muscles in her lungs clear as day to my ears. I knew her voice so well. My brain quickly supplied all the times I had heard this tone and could count them on one hand. The most recent was perhaps that day in the forest when I tried to throw away what we have together. I had heard the same emotion as I do now as in that one single word, I heard fear.

The few people in the room with me heard it too. Just the sound of the vibrations being played from the speaker of the machinery, a cheap imitation of her beautiful voice, made each ear perk up and pay attention.

I automatically looked around for my sister knowing she might be the only one able to calm me right now. Even waiting for the words that would aid my comprehension to be formed on Bella's lips, breathed into the air and copied across telephone signals would take longer than my limited patience would like. I needed to know exactly what was happening to make her voice shake so resolutely. Right now. I needed a guide on how to act to fix this.

But Alice was not here. Alice was with the one thing that would make her useless to me. The wolves.

A tiny shuddering breath was audible on the other end of the line. She was trying to stay calm that much I could tell. She didn't want me to panic. A counterproductive move if there ever was one. Just that one word was enough to make me panic.

Dread pooled in my abdomen. Pure, unforgiving dread. By the window, Jasper reached for his phone. His mind already planning to work out the exact location of his wife and chances of her answering his call. His thoughts running through the likelihood of Alice seeing the problem that drove Bella to call me and the potential impacts whatever visions of her sister may have on her. My dread fed his as he ran through the chances of him reaching her when any visions hit.

They were slim.

She was on watch with Carlisle and Rosalie at the border of the reservation. Since Victoria's getaway last night and the heightened tension between Emmett and Paul, a constant watch has been set up on our land. A protective measure I simply loathed right now.

So Alice couldn't help me. I didn't even have a millisecond to morn this before my brain moved on to the next fastest method of gaining information. I had to wait for Bella to voice it.

"Bella" my voice soft and halting, afraid of the answer. "What is it?"

Even the time it took to ask her this felt like a waste. A waste of the most precious resource I have. Time. Time to spend getting to her. Fixing the problem. Saving her. Saving me for if she would fall, I surely would too.

Her response was simply a strangled noise sounding close to a sob as the sound of a car driving past and a baby in the background played through the call. The next audible intake of breath was noticeably shakier.

My whole world shrunk to a pinhead. Her voice was all I knew.

"I'm so sorry." She breathed out. "I just needed to hear your voice."

The dread curled deeper into my stomach. She was so far away. Phoenix. She was safe with her mother, far away from Victoria, the wolves and the Volturi. Wasn't she?

My voice turned pleading. "Bella, what is it, love?"

"I'm so sorry Edward, I don't have long." Her voice grew a tiny bit stronger as she focused on her words. "I can't explain what is happening but I need you to know..." She paused here again making my head feel light as an old human memory of dreaming briefly sparked and faded behind my eyes. "...this is not your fault."

The sound of birdsong played in the background as she was quiet. My throat felt strangled.

"It's not your fault or Alice's or anyone's, ok? We couldn't have known." Her voice trails off as she takes another breath.

My eyes flick briefly to watch Esme get up and grab her phone, already dialling Carlisle before I could blink. I suddenly recognised the cool, numbing blanket wrapping around my mind grow thicker as Jasper fought to keep me calm. His instruction clear in my mind.

_Gather more information first. Panic later. _

"Bella, where are you?" My voice clearer then I thought possible at that moment. "What's happening?"

"I'm still in Phoenix but.." She paused long enough to make my skin crawl "…I'm trapped, Edward. I'm boxed in." A small sad chuckled was heard on the end of the line. How could she be laughing right now?

Suddenly with the sharp edge of annoyance, I broke through Jaspers haze. I felt every inch of distance between us. Washington to Arizona.

"By who?" The urgency in my tone overtaking anything.

"I don't know" my confusion grew. "The only psychopaths to kill you kindly" she muttered darkly. She carried on in a hushed tone "I was told that once."

My body froze. All movement stopped as the dizziness in my head ranked up a few levels. She had said kill. She was going to die.

And I was too far away.

It took me a second to realise she was still talking.

"Either way Edward. I needed to tell you I love you."

She was saying goodbye. No. I couldn't let her. I couldn't have already seen her for the last time. That kiss we shared before she got on the plane in Seattle. That cannot be it. I would have known surely. She was going to Phoenix to be safe.

"I can be there in an hour" I promised as the desperation leaked into my voice.

"I'm sorry" she breathed again.

Anger at the universe started to build in my making my voice sharper.

"Then you have to fight Bella."

The ridiculous imagine of my fragile human fighting one of my own kind flashed through my mind. The terrifying image of James breaking her beautiful limbs and the hard determined look on her face as she watched down her death as it approached. The images kept coming as my mind spiralled out of control. Jasper took hold of my wrist as he fought to get my emotions back under control.

_Easy Edward_

As I calmed I pleaded with the universe. Don't take her from me I prayed but I already knew. If Bella had deemed the danger enough to call me, she wasn't going to survive. She was already gone.

"I can't Edward. I can't fight this." She had accepted it. Part of me had too but I still found myself speaking.

"Bella, let me save you."

"You can't Edward. Not from this."

"But …"

"No." Her voice harder. Resolute. There was no possibility of arguing when she got this stubborn. "I don't have long Edward and I don't want to waste this time making plans that won't work."

Nausea swept over me and I suddenly found myself sitting next to Emmett.

"Are your brothers listening? Tell them I need a favour. Tell them I need them to keep you safe." Background noise again played through the speakers as she paused. "I don't know what a world like this one would be without you Edward and I never ever want to find out. So please, Emmett, Jasper, keep him safe."

I didn't register any response from my brothers. She continued.

"I need you to do something for me, Edward Cullen." Her lips wrapped around my name like a caress.

"Anything" I vowed. And I meant it.

"Tell me you love me, Edward."

"Bella. Don't tell me goodbye." Fighting one more time before she left me forever.

"I have to."

"No." I refused to accept this.

"Edward before I go."

I interrupted swiftly. "I love you Isabella Swan". It came out more of a pleading croak. Begging her to stay. Whether I was truly pleading to her, the universe or God I did not know. It was all the same.

She chuckled again. The sound a happier, lighter sound than before. "I know. As I love you." The smile in her voice was both uplifting and heartbreaking in one. "I just want you to tell me the time".

Her request threw me off completely.

"The time?"

"Yup". She pops the p slightly in an effort to sound a little more lighthearted I think. The attempt falls flat as it barely touches my mood but I answer anyway. I would have given her the moon if I could.

My confusion was evident in my tone. "It is 2.46 pm."

"2.46 huh?"

"Bella?" I question again.

"2.46 pm on the 27th of May, 2007. I'll remember that." I would too.

But something had crept into her voice that I wasn't expecting. It was a mixture of reverence, determination and hope. "Oh my beautiful, old fashioned, kind vampire. I will do every single thing in my power to get back to you. I promise I'll try ok?"

"Bella please tell me what's happening? What's going…"

She cuts me off. "I will find you again, Edward."

I breathed her name once more pleading her not to go. The sound of her inhaling once more vibrated through my ears.

"I love you Edward Mason Cullen"

And then the phone went dead.


End file.
